LOVELAND — A wave of Republicans fed up with the political status quo pushed businessman Dan Maes to the top of the ticket in the gubernatorial race and cemented Ken Buck’s status as a U.S. Senate contender at the party assembly here Saturday.

In a stunning victory for anti-establishment activists, Maes, an Evergreen businessman with little money or name identification, got 16 more votes than Scott McInnis, a former congressman who had the backing of Republican heavyweights.

Maes received 1,741 votes, or 49.35 percent of the delegate vote, to McInnis’ 48.89 percent.

“Wow,” Maes told the assembly after the results were announced. “Now is the time to get your checkbooks out.”

Maes’ unlikely victory was aided by first-time activists, including those in the Tea Party and 9-12 movements, and he acknowledged them in his acceptance speech.

“Let me introduce the Republican institution to the conservative revolution,” he said to cheers.

Dick Wadhams, chairman of the Colorado Republican Party, also gave them credit. He estimated about 40 percent of Saturday’s delegates were first-timers.

“I think the Tea Partyers and the 9-12ers and new activists can definitely walk away from here saying they have had an impact on this party, a huge impact,” Wadhams said.

Those groups also aided Buck, the Weld County district attorney, who received 77 percent of the delegate vote after his chief rival, former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, decided to skip the assembly and petition onto the primary ballot in the U.S. Senate race.

Buck, given up for dead in December when his fundraising was dismal, had been urged to stay in the race by Coloradans who believe Norton had been anointed by Washington insiders.

Maes’ and Buck’s names will appear first on the August primary ballot because they received the most assembly votes.

But Colorado history shows the top-line position doesn’t guarantee a victory. In the U.S. Senate race in 2004, for example, Republican Bob Schaffer bested Pete Coors at the assembly but lost the primary.

McInnis was traveling to his daughter’s wedding in Estes Park and could not be reach for comment after the results were released.

His spokesman, Sean Duffy, said McInnis’ plan is tell the Republican electorate that he is the strongest candidate to take on Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper in November.

“The election is about beating the Democrat, not beating up on each other,” Duffy said.

Hickenlooper received the Democratic Party’s nomination for governor at its assembly in Broomfield on Saturday. He has been the lone Democratic contender since January, when Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter unexpectedly dropped his re-election bid.

Jennifer Duffy, a senior editor with The Cook Political Report in Washington, D.C., said Tea Partyers can get candidates nominated — and that’s been the case nationally — but they still need money to win the primary.

“The problem is McInnis really needs his money for the fall, while Hickenlooper gets a free ride,” Duffy said.

At the assembly, state Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, led off the nominations on Maes’ behalf.

“Coming from humble beginnings, Dan Maes has distinguished himself again and again as an innovative and effective leader,” Lundberg said.

“He has been a policeman, entrepreneur, executive and, for the past 18 months, the most consistent, most conservative and the hardest-working candidate for governor.”

Maes told Republicans he has put more than 70,000 miles on his car traveling the state to meet with them.

“I have heard you speak loudly,” he said. “You are tired of government that’s growing out of control. You’re tired of government spending money it doesn’t have. You’re tired of illegal immigrants running over our state.

“Well, I’m here to help, and I’m not from the government.”

The kickoff for McInnis’ nomination began with a rousing speech from Margo Knutson, a Franktown 9-12er who once supported Maes and donated to his campaign.

She said it was her first time as a delegate, and as a grassroots activist, she “vetted and vetted and vetted” the candidates and ultimately switched her allegiance to McInnis.

“He is a fiscal conservative, and that’s where our views aligned,” Knutson said.

She touted McInnis’ knowledge of Colorado water and natural-resource issues, and his business and legislative experience. And she said he was the only Republican who could beat Hickenlooper.

McInnis slammed the Democratic nominee.

“When you think of big government, you think of Hickenlooper. When you think of open borders and sanctuary cities, you think of Hickenlooper. When you think of higher taxes and jobs leaving Colorado, you think of Hickenlooper,” McInnis said.

The candidates for governor and U.S. senator each were allowed 12 minutes for their nominating and acceptances speeches. Maes, McInnis and Buck all were cut off in mid-sentence.

Buck said he was energized by the results. He got so much delegate support that he kept three other Republicans going through the assembly process — Cleve Tidwell (15 percent), Robert Greenheck (2 percent) and and Steve Barton (1 percent) — off the ballot.

“I think we have great momentum to go out and build on the success,” Buck said. “We got top line on the ballot. We have a lot of support in all 64 counties.”

Marcia Neal, a Mesa County delegate and a Norton supporter, said she reluctantly voted for Tidwell.

“I’m from Grand Junction. Jane’s from Grand Junction,” Neal said. “I disagreed with her decision not to come here, but in the end, she is the best candidate.”

Some loyal Norton delegates, such as Sonja Lawrence, a 39-year-old health care worker from Arapahoe County, wrote Norton’s name in.

“I wish she would have been here,” Lawrence said. “She is the more electable candidate, and I want to see more Republican women get involved in politics.”

Former state Sen. Tom Wiens is also petitioning onto the ballot in the Senate race.

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